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guineas as customary gift given to Brahmans after meals, he went away." Hearing this the Seth became unconscious.
After sometime when the Seth recovered, he at once reached the Brahman's house. The wife of the Brahman sat at the door. The Seth inquired of her, "Where is the Brahman?" Hearing these words of the Seth, the Brahmini began to weep bitterly and spoke, "Ever since he has returned after taking meals at your home, that he is unwell. God knows what has happened to him. He is seriously ill. There is no hope of his survival even. None can say what harmful thing you fed him along with the food?" The Seth was terrified and began to apologize to the Brahmini saying, "Don't weep. Take these two hundred rupees and get the Brahman properly treated; but do not tell any body that the Brahman had taken meals at my house." Thus the greedy Seth returned home dumbfounded. The Seth had to part with a great amount of wealth for his petty greed and had to undergo mental torture as well. Indeed, there is no lack of such greedy persons in this world. They are known as great sinners as well. Due to a little greed, sometimes they lose their precious life too. It is well said:
Makhi bethi shehd par, rahi phank phelae Hath male aur sir dhune, lalach buri balae
I.e., A fly sat on honey, waves its wings, repents and tosses its head to and fro to come out of it, but in vain. In truth avarice is the root of all evils.
The Crown person of mankind, Lord Ram had to lose his beloved wife Sita out of her greed for the golden deer. If a wise person is possessed even with the least of greed, he also is sure to dwindle from the right path. Ram was an extraordinary superman, yet as a result of greed his wisdom was spoiled. Very often adversity and allurement for others' shake even the right persons from their noble path. Hence, Sir Edwin Arnold says:
'Give freely and receive, but take from none By greed or force or fraud what is his own.'
It has been said:
Asambhavam haimmrigsya jnm tathapi lulubhai mrigaye Paraye samapanvipatikale dhiopi punsan malina bhavanti
Just as color gives out its full luster only on a neat and clean sheet of canvas; likewise virtues like contentment enter only a clean, pure and upright mind. Only when the impurity of greed is washed away by way of holy living, purity may come to the forefront. From the above it becomes clear that 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness'. According to one view point cleanliness is of two types - external and internal; but according to another viewpoint it is of three types - bodily, mental and pertaining to speech. All these are supplementary and complementary to one another. Even in the absence of one of these, the work cannot be accomplished or perfect purity cannot be achieved.
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